Approximately a quarter of all food produced for human consumption goes uneaten. From field to fork, losses and waste occur along the entire food chain. The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 focuses on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns, with target 12.3 aiming to halve global food waste and reduce food loss along production and supply chains by 2030.

Following on from the 2025 theme on increasing food resources sustainably, the 2026 BIEA STEM competition challenges you to come up with innovative solutions to reduce food loss and waste across the food supply chain, from farming and transportation to retail and at-home consumption.

Using your STEM knowledge and understanding, you will design an innovative solution to reduce food waste at a single point along the food supply chain. Your team will explore one stage of the chain and propose a creative and practical solution.

UK Entry Specifics

Participation is free. In addition, thanks to sponsorship, all participating UK students will receive the BIEA STEM Star Skill Accreditation free of charge (normally £25), recognising their achievement and commitment to STEM learning. With the STEM Star Accreditation Certificate, students will be able to join other future BIEA STEM Competitions for 3 years.

Outstanding participants may also be selected to represent the UK in other international STEM competitions, offering valuable opportunities for global engagement.

Team entry

• All entries must be from teams of 3–5 students.

Why only teams?
1. STEM innovation is collaborative by nature.
2. Fairness – comparing solo entries to team entries creates an imbalance.
3. Teams build skills for the future: communication, leadership, and teamwork.
4. Diversity of ideas – different perspectives make for stronger solutions.
5. Well-being – teammates share responsibility and reduce pressure.

Age range

This competition is open to anyone between the ages of 6 and 18 years old. Undergraduate teams in universities are welcome to enter as exemplar projects for younger year groups.

Entries will be divided into the following age groups:
• 6–8
• 9–11
• 12–14
• 15–18 (senior school)
• 18–21 / University undergraduate

Team members should fall in the age group that reflects the age they will be on 31st August 2026. If there are multiple ages, the age of the oldest team member should be used.

What to do?

Your team needs to submit Task 1 (a research report) and Task 2 (an innovation design artwork) by 30 March 2026. Please see below for details.

Task 1 – Report Writing & Research

Your team has been asked to produce a report for the Environment Department. In this report, you will consider the importance of reducing food waste. Examine your own foods: how far have they travelled, how have they travelled, what happens along the journey, and what happens to wasted food? Choose one stage of the food supply chain (farming, transportation, retail, or at-home consumption) as your focus.

Age 6–8

• Define what food waste is.
• Define what food loss is.
• Explain how food loss and waste contribute to climate change (in simple terms).
• Identify one problem in the supply chain that increases food loss or waste.
• Describe two environmental problems caused by food loss or waste.
• Propose an innovative solution to reduce food loss or waste at your chosen stage of the supply chain.
• Explain how your idea is sustainable.
• Explain how your idea contributes to social or environmental wellness.

Age 9–11

• Define what food waste is.
• Define what food loss is.
• State the approximate amount of food wasted or lost annually (globally or nationally).
• Explain how food loss and waste contribute to climate change.
• Identify one problem in the supply chain that increases food loss or waste.
• Describe two environmental problems caused by food loss or waste.
• Propose an innovative solution to reduce food loss or waste at your chosen stage of the supply chain.
• Explain how your idea will reduce the environmental problems.
• Explain how your idea is sustainable.
• Explain how your idea contributes to social or environmental wellness.

Age 12–14

• Define what food waste is.
• Define what food loss is.
• State the approximate amount of food wasted or lost annually (globally and nationally).
• Explain how food loss and waste contribute to climate change.
• Identify two problems in the supply chain that increase food loss or waste.
• Describe three environmental problems caused by food loss or waste.
• Propose an innovative solution to reduce food loss or waste at your chosen stage of the supply chain.
• Explain how your idea will reduce the environmental problems.
• Identify one potential environmental problem for your idea and how it might be resolved.
• Explain how your idea is sustainable.
• Explain how your idea contributes to social or environmental wellness.

Age 15–18

• Define what food waste is.
• Define what food loss is.
• State the approximate amount of food wasted or lost annually (globally and nationally).
• Explain how food loss and waste contribute to climate change.
• Identify three problems in the supply chain that increase food loss or waste.
• Describe four environmental problems caused by food loss or waste.
• Propose an innovative solution to reduce food loss or waste at your chosen stage of the supply chain.
• Explain how your idea will reduce environmental problems.
• Identify two potential environmental problems for your idea and how they might be resolved.
• Explain how your idea is sustainable.
• Explain how your idea contributes to social or environmental wellness.

Age 18–21 / University undergraduate

• Include all 15–18 requirements.
• Use in-text citations (Harvard style) and include a full reference list at the end of the report.

Report Design

Submit your report as a PDF, including any images. Maximum length: 2,500 words (in English). You may include labelled diagrams to help explain your ideas. Do not submit editable documents.

Rules:
– Work in a team of 3–5 students (no individual entries).
– The work you submit must be your own.
– All secondary sources, including webpages and images, must be referenced at the end of your report.

Report Guidance Notes

• A summary of your team members and teacher/mentor, explaining roles.
• How you planned the work (who did what and when).
• The research you conducted to understand the 2026 challenge (including any outreach to industry or organisations).
• Current and relevant environmental problems.
• How your ideas provide solutions to these problems.
• How your ideas contribute to wellbeing.
• References (webpages and print).

Task 2 – Innovation, Creativity and Art

Use your research from Task 1 to plan and design an innovative, feasible solution to reduce food loss or waste. Create a prototype or 3D model of your solution and carry out experiments to test whether your idea could reduce food loss or waste. Your submission should be a solution illustration that describes and explains your design with clear labels.

Your solution illustration may be in any medium (painting, sketch, drawing, mixed media, digital art, photography, mosaic, collage) and may be any size. You may use AI to generate initial ideas, but the final submission must be your own artwork. If AI is used, acknowledge the generator and include your keywords. Your design must reflect the ideas developed in your Task 1 report.

Age 6–8

• Your design title.
• A diagram that shows your ideas for reducing food waste or loss.
• Labels to describe how it works.
• An image that shows your model or prototype.
• Results of one experiment and why you chose this test.

Age 9–11

• Your design title.
• A diagram that shows your ideas for reducing food waste or loss.
• Labels to highlight key areas, such as climate resilience, sustainability, and environmental wellness.
• An image that shows your model or prototype.
• Results of one experiment and how it provides evidence that your proposed design reduces food waste or loss.

Age 12–14

• Your design title.
• A diagram that shows your ideas for reducing food waste or loss.
• Labels to highlight key areas, such as climate resilience, sustainability, and environmental wellness.
• An image that shows your model or prototype.
• Results of two experiments and how they provide evidence that your proposed design reduces food waste or loss.

Age 15–18

• Your design title.
• A diagram that shows your ideas for reducing food waste or loss.
• Labels to highlight key areas, such as climate resilience, sustainability, and environmental wellness.
• An image that shows your model or prototype.
• Results of three experiments and how they provide evidence that your proposed design reduces food waste or loss.

Age 18–21 / University undergraduate

Use the 15–18 requirements and include relevant referencing in captions or a short methods note if applicable.

Innovation Task Helpsheet

Submit the final solution illustration and images embedded into a single PDF document.
Each age category must include at minimum:

• An image that shows where your city/country is on the planet.
• Your artwork (solution illustration) for the design.
• Your design’s name.

You may also include close-up photos to highlight details not evident in the main solution illustration (add labels showing where these details appear).

Submission Link

Option A) You can submit your entry via Google Form: https://forms.gle/ipVJAxt1rxTGP5uz8

Option B) Download the submission form in Word (https://tinyurl.com/BIEASTEM2026) and return with your project files to competition@biea.org.uk

Key dates

Submission Deadline: 30th March 2026 (Task 1 & Task 2)
International Final/Showcase: 7th July 2026
BIEA Youth Voice Forum: 8th July 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How many students are in a team?
Each team should consist of 3–5 students.

Can students in a team be of mixed ages?
We recommend that students within a team are in the same age group.
If this is not possible, the team must follow the guidelines for the oldest student in the group.

Do we need to pay for the BIEA STEM Star?

• UK teams: No. Thanks to generous sponsorship, BIEA STEM Stars are fully funded for UK entries.
• International teams: A fee applies for BIEA STEM Star participation.

Can one school enter multiple teams?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of teams a school can enter.

Can I form a team with students from other schools?
Yes. Teams can include students from different schools, and even from different countries.

What happens after we submit our entry?
All entries are reviewed by our judging panel.
If shortlisted for the final, your team will be invited to an online panel interview.
All teams are also invited to attend:

• the International Showcase on 7 July 2026, and
• the Youth Voice Forum on 8 July 2026.

Where will the International Showcase and Youth Voice Forum take place?
Both events will be held in London. Full venue details will be confirmed closer to the event dates.

Can we use AI tools in our project?
Yes. AI tools may be used to support research and idea development.
You must clearly reference:

• the AI tools used, and
• the search terms or prompts applied.

All submitted work must be original, and your own ideas and thinking are the most important part of the project.

Who do I contact if I have a question? Email: competition@biea.org.uk